this therefore I say, that the law, which was not till four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul the promise, that was ratified before by God, so as to set the promise afoot.

now if the right to the inheritance be from the law, it is no longer founded upon the promise; altho' God made a donation of it to Abraham by promise.

"To what purpose then was the law?" it was added as a check to transgressors, till the offspring should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels with the intervention of a mediator.

Is the law then opposite to the promises? by no means. for if there had been a law given, which could have given life, certainly justification should have been by the law.

but before faith came, we were shut up together as prisoners under the custody of the law, 'till faith was to be revealed.

so that the law was our school-master to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

God sent forth his own son born of a woman, and subject to the law, to redeem those,

who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

or rather that you are favoured by him, how can ye turn again to the weak and beggarly elements of the law, to which you desire again to be in bondage?

But tell me, you that are so willing to be under the law, why don't you consider the law?

for I testify to every man that is circumcised, that he is under an obligation to perform the whole law.

Christ is of no use to you, whoever of you seek to be justified by the law; you have lost all interest in the gospel-dispensation.

for all the law is comprehended in this one precept, "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

but if you are governed by the spirit, you are not subject to the law.

against such there is no law.

bear with one another's infirmities, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

for even they who are circumcised, do not themselves observe the law in other respects; but they dedesire to have you circumcised, that they may have matter of glorying upon that account.

(which kept us at variance) by abolishing the dogmatical injunctions of the law, that having made the peace, he might incorporate the two into one new body under himself;

Children, obey your christian parents: for this is the law.

if zeal is to be regarded, I persecuted the church; if the integrity prescrib'd by the law, I am without reproach;

and be his true disciple, not professing that justification, which is derived from the law, but that which is from the gospel,

the Lord is coming: be not in any manner of sollicitude, but in all your occasions lay your requests before God by prayer and supplication accompany'd by thanksgiving.

and cancell'd the obligation of the ceremonial law, which was disadvantageous to us, removing that which divided us, and nailing it to the cross.

wherefore God will suffer a spirit of delusion to work them into the belief of a lye:

pretending to be doctors of the law, tho' they neither understand what they advance, nor upon what it is founded.

I own that the law is good, if a man make a right use of it:

it being plain, that the law was not design'd against the just, but against the lawless and refractory, against irreligion and vice, impiety and prophaneness, parricide and man-slaughter,

but avoid frivolous enquiries about genealogies, and vexatious disputes about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

for if the law deliver'd by angels was put in execution, and every transgression and disobedience was justly punish'd as it deserv'd;

'tis true they of the race of Levi, who assume the office of the priesthood, have a right by law to take tithes of the people, that is, of their brethren, though they all issued from Abraham:

If therefore the Levitical priesthood, concerning which the people received a law, could have given perfection, what further need was there that another priest should rise, to be named after the order of Melchisedec, and not after the order of Aaron?

now the priesthood being changed, the law must necessarily be changed too.

who was not establish'd by virtue of a temporary law, but with the power of being a perpetual priest.

wherefore the preceeding law is abolished for its being weak and useless.

for the law made no man perfect, but this was effected by introducing a better hope, which brings us nearer to the divine presence.

as those high priests of the law were, to offer up daily sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people: having done this once for all, by offering up himself.

for the law appointed frail mortals to be high priests, but the oracle pronounc'd with an oath, which was since the law, established the son, who is crown'd with immortal perfections.

which office he could not discharge here upon earth, where priests are already establish'd, who offer gifts according to the law:

for when every precept of the law had been represented by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, wool of a scarlet dye, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book of the law and all the people,

and indeed according to the law almost every thing is purified with blood, without the effusion of which, there is no remission of sins.

For the law being only an allusion to a future dispensation that was more excellent, and not an exact imitation of such a state, cannot by the anniversary sacrifices, which are offered, entirely purify those that present themselves.

then said I, lo I come, as in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God."

after having said, "victims, oblations, holocausts, and sacrifice for sin, thou wouldst not, neither hadst pleasure therein," tho' they are all prescrib'd by the law;

he immediately adds, "lo, I come to do thy WILL, O God." he abolishes the first to establish the second:

He that by two or three witnesses was convicted of violating Moses's law, was put to death without mercy.

Wherefore, since we are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every incumbrance, and the sin which does so easily embarrass us, and let us pursue with constancy the course that is proposed to us:

whereas, he that attentively considers the perfect law of liberty, and is attach'd thereto, he is not a forgetful hearer, but reduces it to practice, and his conduct is crown'd with hapiness.

If, agreeably to the scriptures, you observe that royal law, "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self," you do well.

but partiality is iniquity; and the law will convict the offender of transgression.

for he that violates but one precept of the whole law, is as obnoxious to punishment, as if he had broke thro' all the rest.

he that said, "do not commit adultery," said too, "do not kill." though you should not commit adultery, yet if you kill, you are a transgressor of the law.

speak and act as those, who are to be judged by the law of liberty.

Don't, my brethren, treat one another with detraction. he that reflects upon his brother, and censures his brother, reflects upon the law, and censures the law: if you censure the law, instead of obeying it, you set up for a judge.

wherefore it is said in the scripture, I lay in Sion the principal stone of the angle, a choice one of great value: he that

if we say that we have communion with him, and walk in darkness, we lye, and do not act sincerely:

he that is vitious, is lawless: for sin is the transgression of the law.

you shall see I will make those of the synagogue of satan, who say they are Jews, and are not, but do lye: you shall see I will make them come, and throw themselves at your feet, and they shall know that you are the objects of my love.

their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which in the mystical stile is called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was crucified.

and nothing that is impure, no one that is guilty of any abomination, or a lye, shall ever enter there: but they alone who are written in the lamb's book of life.